


Coffee Cup Confessions

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s06e19 The Unnatural, F/M, Fluff, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 01:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18400646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Mulder brings coffee and Scully is... jealous?





	Coffee Cup Confessions

“Who is Cassie, Mulder?” Scully asks as she takes the proffered, warm styrofoam cup from him. Mulder turns around, grins at her, and snatches it out of her hand.

“Oh, this one’s mine.” He sits at his desk and watches Scully, still standing on the other side, a confused expression on her face. Today is an unusual chilly Spring day; so cold in fact that Mulder offered to run and get them some real coffee, not the tasteless stuff from the cafeteria. That was twenty minutes ago. Scully had smiled at him then, thanking him with a silent twitch of her lips.

She’s not smiling anymore.

“Is anything the matter, Scully?” Mulder takes a sip from his own coffee. He tastes the extra cinnamon he asked for and the cream. He hums softly, knowing it draws Scully’s attention. This is a new discovery, one he made only recently. Scully likes to watch him drink his coffee.

Lately, they’ve been inching closer to the inevitable. Closer and closer and closer. Last weekend, he took a big step and asked her out to an impromptu game of baseball. All under the guise of teaching her. He didn’t let slip that he’s seen pictures of her with her hair long and messy, a sure grin and dirt on her face, holding a baseball bat. Neither did she. Under the night sky, her laughter clearer than the stars, he held her and she let him.

“I’m fine, Mulder,” she replies and sits down at the other side of the desk, turned away from him, playing with the plastic lid on the coffee.

“Are you?” he asks, taking another sip. Cream sticks to his lips and he licks it away, slowly, never taking his eyes off her. Another little indulgence. Whenever he does it, he’s realized, patches of red appear on Scully’s cheek and around her nose. Her eyes travel to his lips, watching, before she licks her own lips, a sort of mimicry, as if she were licking his instead by proxy.

Not today, though. Today her eyes wander to the cup in his hands, to the scrawled numbers there, to the doodled heart, and the name Cassie.

“So, uhm you and…” The phone interrupts whatever Scully wants to say. Mulder picks up but keeps his eyes on her.

“Mulder,” he says and listens to Skinner’s tirades, uhming and ahing whenever appropriate. As he watches Scully, still not drinking her coffee, still glancing at his cup and the phone number there, he starts to understand.

Scully is jealous. She thinks he is interested in this Cassie girl. He groans into the phone, giving Skinner pause and making Scully look up at him for a short moment. He apologizes to their boss while his eyes plead with his partner. Who refuses to look at him.

Listening, or trying to, Mulder picks up his pen. If Scully were to look over (she doesn’t), she’d see him doodle, like he’s done so many times when he’s bored. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’ll be right there, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” Mulder hangs up, sighs.

“What does Skinner want from us?”

“Not us,” he says, getting up, “just me. I’ll be right back. And uhm, maybe you should try my coffee.” Mulder runs a hand through his hair.

“Why?”

“Just… try it. Please.” He pushes the cup towards her before he flees the office.

Outside he waits a moment, wishes he could watch her, see her reaction. If she looks at the cup at all. Cassie’s number is no longer visible, has never mattered anyway. The only thing he kept is the tiny heart. Under it is her own phone number now; she’ll recognize the familiar numbers.

He takes a deep breath, walking towards the elevator, taking his time. The office door flies open as his finger hovers over the elevator button. Scully is holding the cup and he can see his own handwriting on it.

“This is my number,” she says, sounding staggered.

“I know.”

“But-”

“Scully, your number is the only one I want. I don’t care about anyone named Cassie or any other woman for that matter. It’s only you.” The elevator dings, the door opens and Mulder knows Skinner is going to be even more pissed if he makes him wait.

“Have you looked at the other side?” he asks, holding the doors open just a moment longer. Scully turns the cup in her hands and stops to read. She lifts her head, looks at him, and it’s not the same smile, not the one she gave him when they were playing baseball, but it’s close enough.

“That’s my number,” he says, blushing, “maybe you’d like to give me a call some-”

The elevator doors close before he finishes. They’ve never had the best timing. But just this once Mulder isn’t worried at all.


End file.
